Orissa Assembly Election Results in 1967

Elections to the fourth Legislative Assembly of Orissa were held in February 1967. 603 candidates from various political parties contested for a total of 140 Assembly constituencies. Out of these, 84 assembly seats were reserved for General candidates, 22 seats were reserved for Scheduled Caste candidates and 34 were reserved for candidates from Scheduled Tribes. For the first time in independent India, the Indian National Congress (INC) lost the polls in a close fight with the Swatantra Party (SWA) in the state. Whereas the Swatantra Party bagged 49 Assembly seats by contesting in 101 seats and hence forming the government, the Congress won only 31. Following closely was the Praja Socialist Party (PSP), which won as many as 21 seats by contesting in only 33 Assembly constituencies. Dr. Ajudhia Nath Khosla continued in the prestigious post of the Governor of Orissa for the first year of the Fourth Assembly term, before he was replaced by former Ambassador of India to Sudan and Congo, Dr. Shaukatullah Shah Ansari, who continued in the post till the end of the term. Nanda Kishore Misra was the Speaker of the Orissa Vidhan Sabha during this period. Rajendra Narayan Singh Deo of the Swatantra Party was in power as the Chief Minister of Orissa during the whole of this period, till President’s Rule was imposed in the state for the last few months of the fourth Assembly term.

Rajendra Deo led a coalition government with Harekrushna Mahatab’s newly-formed party, Odisha Jana Congress. Significant economic and political schemes were implemented in Orissa under Deo’s able leadership. Some of the most important legislations passed in the Orissa Legislative Assembly during this period were:

• Orissa Appropriation Act, 1967
• Orissa Agricultural Income Tax (Amendment) Act, 1967
• Gram Rakshi Act, 1967
• Orissa Famine Relief Fund (Amendment) Act, 1967
• Indian Easements (Orissa Extension) Act, 1967
• Orissa freedom of Religion Act, 1967
• Orissa Irrigation (Amendment) Act, 1968
• Orissa Famine Relief Fund (Amendment) Act, 1968
• Orissa Education Act, 1969
• Orissa Appropriation, 1969
• Orissa Khadi and Village Industries Board (Amendment) Act, 1969
• Orissa Tool Stamp Duty Act, 1970
• Orissa Estates Abolition (Amendment) Act, 1970
• Orissa Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 1970

List of Successful Candidates in Orissa Assembly Election in 1967

List of Participating Political Parties in Orissa Assembly Election in 1967